Hokkaido
道の駅 おんねゆ温泉
The first roadside station after crossing Sekihoku Pass from the Asahikawa side. Home to Kamurin, one of the world’s largest mechanical cuckoo clocks, and the Northern Land Aquarium, it is a stop between eastern and northern Hokkaido.
Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
The clock operates on the hour from 08:00 to 18:00. Its operating season is mid-April to early November (the Kitami City guide specifies the third Sunday of April through November 3).
It sells Hokkaido products including woodcrafts, ice cream and locally made sweets.
Indoor wooden play equipment includes a wooden sandbox and a large spiral slide. Admission is ¥330 for adults and ¥160 for elementary and junior high school students (rates revised October 1, 2025).
A freshwater aquarium known for its waterfall basin tank and large tank of Sakhalin taimen, a large freshwater fish called ito in Japanese. Admission is ¥830 for adults and ¥400 for elementary and junior high school students.
Roadside Station Onneyu Onsen is a stop on National Route 39 between the Daisetsu tourism area and the Akan, Abashiri and Shiretoko tourism areas. Its landmark is Kamurin, a mechanical cuckoo clock tower about 20 m tall. Kamurin Hall contains the Kamurin Shop, which sells local products; Kamurin World, with wooden play equipment; and a craft workshop staffed by instructors. The Northern Land Aquarium (Mountain Aquarium) is on the same grounds. The Onneyu Onsen hot spring town is nearby.
Michika Makabe sees Onneyu Onsen as “the first station you can rely on before or after Sekihoku Pass.” Use the 24-hour toilets, spacious parking and lobby road information to plan the next part of your drive, then watch Kamurin operate if you arrive on the hour. With children, indoor Kamurin World and the aquarium offer activities regardless of the weather.
The mechanical cuckoo clock tower stands about 20 m tall. On the hour, forest fairies carrying musical instruments dance and Poppo-chan, a cuckoo with wings about 2 m long, appears. The tower has two interior floors; from the second-floor viewing area, you can see the figures up close.
The hall has three rooms: Kamurin Shop, Kamurin World with wooden play equipment, and the craft workshop. Kamurin World and craft activities have admission or use fees. Instructors are stationed in the workshop, and kits can be purchased at the shop.
The aquarium moved to the roadside-station grounds and reopened in July 2012. Its official highlights include Japan’s first “waterfall basin tank,” a “four seasons tank” that freezes in winter, and a large tank with about 10 Sakhalin taimen (ito). It is open from 09:00 to 17:30, the same hours as the roadside station.
The lobby of Clean Plaza Onneyu has chairs and tables for resting. A Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau information system shows real-time road conditions, including conditions on Sekihoku Pass. EV chargers and Wi-Fi are also available.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
It is the first roadside station after crossing Sekihoku Pass from the Asahikawa side. Use the toilets, check road information, charge an EV, and, if you arrive on the hour, watch Kamurin operate before leaving.
Park → toilets → check road information in the lobby → Kamurin → depart
Kamurin operates only on the hour from 08:00 to 18:00, from mid-April to early November.
The indoor wooden play equipment and aquarium are on the same grounds, so you can spend time there regardless of the weather. There is a nursing room and a diaper-changing table.
Kamurin World → Kamurin Shop → Northern Land Aquarium
Kamurin World and the aquarium charge admission. Note the closure dates: April 8–14, the second Monday through Friday of December, and New Year.
Instructors are stationed in the craft workshop, which has tools for working with wood. Kits are sold at Kamurin Shop.
Buy a kit at Kamurin Shop → craft workshop
The equipment-use fee is ¥420 (revised October 1, 2025). Check the workshop’s reception hours on the day.
The historic Onneyu Onsen hot spring town is nearby. You can stop at the roadside station to rest and shop before heading to the hot spring town.
Roadside station → Onneyu Onsen hot spring town
Check each hot spring facility for its opening hours and whether it offers day visits.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
A nursing room and diaper-changing table make indoor breaks easier.
There is a nursing room and a diaper-changing table. A brief stop in the lobby and aquarium may suit this age better than a long outdoor walk.
Children can use indoor play equipment such as Kamurin World’s wooden sandbox.
The aquarium has a corner where children can touch river creatures. Kamurin’s hourly operation can help you plan the wait.
Enjoy wooden play equipment, the aquarium and the mechanical clock in one visit.
Official highlights include Kamurin World’s large spiral slide and wooden fishing pond, and the aquarium’s large Sakhalin taimen tank.
Children can also make woodcrafts at the craft workshop.
Children can try woodworking in the instructor-staffed workshop. The aquarium also lists Itadakimasu Live, a commentary session during Sakhalin taimen feeding; check the aquarium’s official site for its schedule.
The lobby of Clean Plaza Onneyu has chairs and tables, and a multiscreen shows road conditions including those on Sekihoku Pass.
The clock operates only on the hour. Check the time before going outside to reduce your wait.
It is open 09:00–17:30, with last admission at 17:10. It is on the same grounds as the roadside station, so you can visit without moving your car.
Permanent spaces and dated events are listed separately. Events can change both the atmosphere and crowds; use the official links for details.
Checking event dates.
It operates on the hour from 08:00 to 18:00, from mid-April to early November (the Kitami City guide specifies the third Sunday of April through November 3). It does not operate outside that season, so plan your visit around the date and hour if you want to see it.
The Kitami City guide lists Itadakimasu Live, a 10–15 minute explanation during Sakhalin taimen feeding, three times a week at 14:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Its resumption in 2026 has also been announced. Check the aquarium’s official notices for current times and cancellations.
Maintenance and temporary closures are posted in the Northern Roadside Stations opening-hours and closure information. Check before visiting.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
The Northern Roadside Stations guide says it operates on the hour from 08:00 to 18:00. Three songs, including “Toy Symphony” and “Let’s Go to the Forest,” play in sequence. The operating season is mid-April to early November (the Kitami City guide specifies the third Sunday of April through November 3).
The official guide says it sells wooden furniture, folk crafts and woodcrafts, as well as ice cream, local sweets and one of Hokkaido’s widest selections of specialty products.
Aquarium admission is ¥830 for adults and ¥400 for elementary and junior high school students; an adult annual pass is ¥1,200. Admission to Kamurin World is ¥330 for adults, and the craft workshop’s equipment-use fee is ¥420.
The aquarium’s official site says a bus from JR Rubeshibe Station takes about 20 minutes to the Roadside Station Onneyu Onsen terminus, followed by a two-minute walk. There is a Hokkaido Kitami Bus stop named “Michi-no-Eki Onneyu Onsen.”
The station is closed April 8–14, from the second Monday through Friday of December, and over New Year. Kamurin Hall and the aquarium cannot be used during these periods, so account for the closures when planning your trip.
Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.
Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.
A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.
Pick up ice cream at Kamurin Shop. Kitami City’s visitor guide lists light snacks at the Karakuri Kingdom shop; check availability on the day.
The official guide says the shop carries one of Hokkaido’s widest selections of specialty products.
The official guide does not list a restaurant at the station. If you want a full meal, plan to eat in the Onneyu Onsen hot spring town or in a town before or after this stop.
These are convenient before or after Kamurin World or the aquarium.
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The first roadside station after crossing Sekihoku Pass from the Asahikawa side. Home to Kamurin, one of the world’s largest mechanical cuckoo clocks, and the Northern Land Aquarium, it is a stop between eastern and northern Hokkaido.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
